COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Ever cringe when you step on the scale? If so, now think of the entire country stepping on that scale. Obesity is a common, serious, and costly health problem. What can we do as individuals to help control this epidemic and improve our nation’s health?
Healthy People 2020, which outlines the nation’s health goals for 2020, has set a target obesity prevalence of 30.6 percent for adults and 14.6 percent for children. However, according to the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data in 2009-2010, about 36 percent of U.S. adults ages 20 and over were obese, and about 17 percent of children ages 2-19 years old were obese.
Additionally, some adult populations are more affected by obesity than others. Non-Hispanic blacks are most likely to be obese at 44.1 percent, followed by Hispanics at 37.9 percent and non-Hispanic whites at 32.6 percent. This is very serious and has shown obese people are at higher risk for developing heart disease, Type two diabetes, some cancers, high blood pressure, stroke, and sleeping and breathing problems among other conditions. Some of these are the leading causes of death in the U.S.
In addition to being at risk for developing some of these same health problems, children tend to also experience social and psychological effects like discrimination and low self-esteem. Moreover, obese children are more likely to become obese adults. Obesity is costly and associated health problems have a significant economic impact on the U.S. health care system. In 2008, medical care costs for obesity were about $147 billion. On average, medical spending for obese people was $1429 greater than spending for people of normal weight in 2006.
What can help make the healthy choice the easy choice? Find what intrinsically motivates you to make better behavior lifestyle choices. Having fun takes energy and fuel. Making those changes in our lifestyle includes eating better, plenty of good quality sleep, engaging in a physical activity program, and managing stress.
First, be sure to eat a variety of foods, including plenty of vegetables, fruits, raw nuts and seeds, legumes and whole grain products. Also, minimal dairy products, animal products and eliminate processed pre-packaged foods. Drink lots of water and go easy on the salt, sugar, alcohol, and saturated fat. Good nutrition should be part of an overall healthy lifestyle.
Second, avoid smoking and secondhand smoke. Quitting is one of the best things you can do for yourself and others. Just 20 minutes after smoking that last cigarette, your body begins a series of positive changes that continue for years.
Third, increase daily physical activity of 150 mins per week of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, and two or more days a week for muscle-strengthening activities for all major muscle groups.
Doing 150 minutes each week may sound like a lot of time, but it's not. It equals out to two hours and 30 minutes, about the same amount of time you might spend watching a movie. The good news is you can spread your activity out during the week, so you don't have to do it all at once. You can even break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day. It's about what works best for you, as long as you're doing physical activity at a moderate or vigorous effort for at least 10 minutes at a time.
Incorporating good sleep hygiene tips may also help achieve quality sleep of 7-9 hours a night. Limiting screen time before bed, dark cool sleep environment, sticking to a constant sleep schedule and limiting caffeine six hours before bedtime are ways to achieve this.
Lastly, managing stress can be challenging, but can be rewarding by including daily practices such as deep breathing, mindfulness, visualization or gratitude positivity affirmation self-talk. Engage in those hobbies you enjoy to do and incorporate fun in your life.
You must take charge of our health and make these changes to prevent or reverse those chronic metabolic conditions and decrease overall body-fat, especially in the midsection. Contact Health Promotion at 434-1688 to learn how we can guide you through this process. To learn more, please visit cdc.gov/obesity, cdc.gov/WON, and weightofthenation.org.